Urbanization refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas. In the Caribbean, this process has led to high population densities in major cities and issues with over-urbanization. Common causes of unplanned urbanization include natural population increase, migration for economic opportunities and education, and declining importance of agriculture. Key consequences are scarcity of basic necessities resulting in slums and overcrowding, unemployment exceeding available jobs, and increased social issues like crime, violence, and segregation.

1. URBANIZATION
Issues In Caribbean Development

2. OBJECTIVES
BY THE END OF THIS POWERPOINT, STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
• Define urbanization
• Understand the link between urbanization and Caribbean
development
• List and understand the causes of unplanned urbanization in the
Caribbean
• List and understand the consequences of urbanization
• Identify three of the most critical implications of urbanization in
their country.

3. WHAT’S URBANIZATION, THOUGH?
AIIGHT, MAKE WE BREAK IT DOWN FIRST…
Firstly, an urban area is classified as urban if it “possesses a
population of 2,000 or more persons and provides a number of
amenities and utilities which indicate modern living”.
Know any urban areas in Jamaica?
• Kingston
• Montego Bay
• Ocho Rios
Okay ! So back to defining urbanization..

4. Urbanization is a population shift from rural to urban areas, "the
gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas",
and the ways in which each society adapts to the change.
According to Mustapha (2013)
 Urbanization refers to “the shift in a country’s population from
rural to urban areas.”
C. Chinapoo, N. James & M. Lee-Paisely (2014) state that
Urbanization could also be:
 “the process whereby the population living In cities increases
as people choose to move away from rural areas and into
towns.”

5. WHAT DOES URB. HAVE TO DO WITH
DEVELOPMENT?
The production, distribution and consumption of goods and
services in urban areas of a country contribute greatly to the
country’s GDP and hence influence economic growth.
GDP ? = Gross Domestic Product
GDP The value of a country's overall output of goods and services at market
price, excluding net income from abroad.
The GDP is one of the primary indicators used to gauge the health of a country's
economy. You could say it measures the size of the economy.

6. Am I saying that this increase in persons moving from Rural to Urban
benefits the economy in some way or the other ?
Of course I am! But although this productivity, this consumption of goods
and services is beneficial, there still remain problems with ‘over-
urbanization’.
In the Caribbean, an examination of the region will reveal that there are
high densities of population in the cities and their suburbs such as:
 Port of Spain – Trinidad
 Bridgetown – Barbados
 Kingston – St. Vincent
 Castries – St. Lucia
 New Kingston – Jamaica
(Modules in Social Studies 4th Ed., Rampersad Ramsawak & Ralf Umraw, 2015, Printed in Trinidad)

7. CAUSES OF UNPLANNED URBANIZATION IN THE
CARIBBEAN
Natural
Increase
• This is calculated by subtracting the crude birth rate from the crude
death rate.
• Fertility rates in the Caribbean first began to decline in the late 1950’s
and early 1960s – women wanted a better chance at a good education
and professional careers. Fertility rates are higher in rural areas.
Migration
• Most of the persons leaving rural areas are young adults that leave in hope of
finding better economic activities, better standards of living.
• Due to their age, the fertility rate is much higher than the rest of the urban
population. This poses a threat as the urban pop. would then see an increase in
it’s inhabitants.
Socio-
economic
Factors
• Employment and income
• Better education opportunities
• Declining importance of the agri. sector
• Status and prestige attached to urban living

8. CONSEQUENCES OF URBANIZATION IN THE
CARIBBEAN
 The Availability of Basic Necessities becomes scarce
- Cost of accommodation increases resulting in squatter
settlements, shanty towns and overcrowding.
- Clean and frequent water supply is almost unheard of and
the access to proper sanitation tightens.
 Urban Labour Markets Cannot Accommodate Those In Need of Jobs
- Those in need of jobs supersede the availability of jobs and
they as a result are not employed. This later contributes to crime and
poverty.

9. CONSEQUENCES OF URBANIZATION IN THE
CARIBBEAN
 The Rise of Social Issues
- Crime & violence as a result of the high unemployment
rates - vandalism , pornography and prostitution are among such
crimes.
- The establishment of minority groups eradicates the idea
of the ‘melting pot’ and breeds contention as segregation based on
race and ethnicity begins to take place.